Ad

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Kathy Henderson is hopping mad that someone filmed two recent public ANC 5D meetings (portions of one meeting and the entirety of a second meeting) and posted them on YouTube. She really doesn't like that I embedded the videos on my blog so more people could watch them. She posted some weird messages to the Ward5 email list last night. Here is the exchange for your edification:

This is a response to my post from last night that included an embedded video from the recent ANC 5D special meeting as well as an open letter from other commissioners and a "press release" issued by Ms. Henderson. In that post I explain what goes on in the video and why I support the choice of a group of ANC 5D commissioners to hold off on participating in the ANC Security Fund until they are able to review the necessary financial records for ANC 5D. The ANC Security Fund is a vitally important thing and no one wants to abstain from participating in it. They just want to see the books first. I stated before that I was initially caught off guard by the vote, but understood the actions of those commissioners once they were able to explain their reasoning.

I wasn't caught off guard by being identified as a former ANC (I was a public official, after all) and a ton of people know that I write Frozen Tropics. I've been interviewed in various publications (including the Washington Post) about it and my photo has appeared in some of those stories.

Comm. Henderson then goes on to assert two things:

1. People need permission to record ANC meetings. This is not the case. It's well-established that public ANC meetings (not the Committee of the Whole meetings) are public and can be filmed. No one needs special permission from Ms. Henderson or anyone else to film those meetings and post them on YouTube.

2. These videos are edited. I'm not sure where this idea even comes from. The first two videos only show portions of an ANC 5D meeting, but from what I'm told this is because they only turned on the cameras once Ms. Henderson's actions became questionable. Before that they had no indications that filming the meeting would serve any purpose. They filmed the entire next meeting because of Ms. Henderson's actions at the prior meeting. These recordings run straight through and there is no indication that any of them have been edited. Ms. Henderson doesn't say what prompts her claims that the videos were edited.

21 comments:

Jonathon
said...

Wow. She really thinks that educated people are going to fall for her - and I'll be polite here - zany blabber? It appears as if this woman is in over her head, and/or trying to manipulate/hide certain things.

I'm glad this is out there. When I attend the next meeting, I'm hoping to bring a tiny video recorder as well legal counsel (also a private investigator) that is agreeing to do some pro bono work on what might be wrong with this picture. Wait, not "what might be wrong", but to figure out ALL THE THINGS that are wrong with this picture. I should think about bringing an independent minded police officer as well - Kathy (Lanier) is a fairly close acquaintance, so I'll speak to her first.

This woman doesn't understand what a "public office" is, and should have known what to expect before running for the position. Everything about this scheme she's running is reprehensible, and frankly, quite shady.

If anyone outside of this debacle were to read her emails, they'd question her mental health. She either can't or refuses to communicate logically and in intelligible english language. Which could work to her advantage one day, as she could claim that she's simply not mentally fit for trial. Maybe that's part of her plan?

I hate to be a pessimist, but the human urge to loiter and stare at a car wreck is simply irresistable.

Thanks to the legal system and modern technology, we can continue to watch this on youtube for years.

Don't get me wrong, I feel horrible for her and it saddens me that someone like her could act the way she does - especially in an office that assumes public trust.

But, wow. Pity for her isn't going to help her much.

This is all really quite tragic for her AND the community.

Which is why it's even more important to spend less time commenting as an anonymous schmuck and actually perform my civic duties and support not just the neighborhood, but DC in general.

Enough is enough.

One more thing, she's so out of touch, she doesn't even understand what a blog is??? Your blog has been a fundamental engine for the area. When I moved in to the area in the early 2000s and until today, I read your blog as a way to connect with the community and our developments. Thank you for continuing to carry the torch for those of us that aspire to a greater District.

It would be best not to invoke or involve Police Chief Kathy Lanier in the matter of a kooky ANC member. A person in her position is unlikely to want to (and should not) get involved politically, especially at the relatively unimportant ANC level. Dropping her name is silly and out of proportion, in my opinion.

This person is a ticking time bomb. Probably mentally ill, definitely not somebody anybody would rationally want as an ANC chairperson -- "reading for understanding is a skill"-- what a conceited, petty and ultimately meaningless remark. Sorry you guys have to deal with this.

I think we should all remember that Kathy Henderson has long stood against this sort of thing... remember when she protested Capital City Diner's filming of their own property by removing political signage from their premises?

Please keep on this. KH thinks she can bully her way through life and that is not the case. Please keep us up to date on upcoming meetings so I can attend. KH only won her ANC seat this time around by a slight margin and hopefully she will be defeated next time around.

For us adults that have "been around the block" and likely seen some things in our lifetimes, I think we can all agree that this could very well be a potential harming situation, but I think we can all agree that this is, without any doubt, an embarassment of enormous proportions.

I can only hope that she's not some sort of role model for any of our youth. They don't know any better.

I stumbled upon this blog and can't believe what I'm seeing. These comments are way out of line and immature. You all are talking about the democratic process like it is some kind of joke. Do any of you understand why the ANC system was set up in the District? Do any of you understand the history of DC and how your comments can be considered racist. I found not one constructive or intelligible comment out of the bunch. I recently moved to this area of the city, but I'm seriously increasing my efforts to move back to Ward 1. Considered being serious about your new community and sensitive to those who struggle through the tough years years to hold things together way before your arrival and not act like a bunch of sarcastic, racist, smart asses. If you say this is not true, then you are lying. Why else would the majority of the post be signed as Anonymous or some sillier alias?